The Wall falls, fire and
ice meet in the biblical sense, and the mastermind who spurred the entire plot
of Game of Thrones into action is
dead.
The big parley in the
dragon pit, a 45-minute set piece in an extended season finale, was riveting,
with each faction making its case and trying to secure the future of the entire
world. It was also kind of funny, with each person meeting his or her arch
enemy, and Cersei’s late entrance being upstaged by Daenerys’ later and more
dramatic entrance.
Cersei is genuinely
terrified of the wight and makes a calculation that a truce, with conditions,
would be best in the grand scheme of things. She’ll hope that the other side
will remember that she cooperated with them and that they will have mercy after
the walkers are defeated. It seems like a calculating plan, teaming up with the
enemy to defeat the larger menace and then ensuring a good political position after
the dust settles. But of course, it’s a lie. Cersei sends Euron to Essos to
enlist the Golden Company for help while the others kill themselves trying to
defeat the danger to the north.
That was a hell of a scene
with Cersei confronting Tyrion about the deaths of her father and children. It
is just such a pleasure seeing the two best actors in the cast face off for the
first time in several seasons. As angry and ruthless as Cersei is, she just can’t
order the deaths of her brothers. As terrible a person as Cersei is, I felt a
twinge of pity for her when Jaime left her alone. Her family is gone except for
her unborn child. That I could feel any pity for her is a testament to Lena
Headey’s skill.
Littlefinger meets a
well-deserved fate. There was a reason last week’s threat of Arya against Sansa
seemed fake: It was just an act, designed to manipulate the master manipulator
to think the sisters really were feuding. The Stark children finally pull off
Littlefinger’s mask, realizing that he was the one who poisoned Jon Arryn, it
was his dagger used in the attempt on Bran’s life, and Littlefinger encouraged
Catelyn to take Tyrion prisoner, which set the whole series in motion. Petyr
Baelish begs for his life, the mask of calm finally slipping, but Sansa will
have none of it. She’s not as stupid as her parents sometimes were. Well-played,
Lady Stark.
Jon gets it on with Aunt
Daenerys. I assume the line about her maybe being fertile after all, mixed with
the talk of a successor, means we’ll be seeing inbred Targaryen babies. More significantly,
Sam and Bran put two and two together and realize that Jon is legally the
legitimate heir to the Iron Throne. After all she’s been through, Daenerys will
not take it well if she has to settle for being a consort.
Meanwhile, things don’t
look like they’re working out up north, where the zombie dragon exhales some Icy
Hot and destroys the Wall at Eastwatch. After six seasons, the white walkers
are finally on the march.
Season seven was brisk but
I think it was just enough to whet my appetite for the end of the series. Loose
ends have been lopped off, the narrative has tightened and everyone is off to
fight the monsters.
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